California man Marguin Sanchez, 23, has admitted his role in a sprawling underground labor ring that exploited illegal immigrants across Western New York. Sanchez pleaded guilty in Buffalo federal court to conspiracy to employ unlawful aliens, a charge carrying up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case, delivered before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., exposes a network of cash-only payrolls and shell housing tied to a cluster of Mexican restaurants.
Sanchez, operating alongside co-defendant Jose Sanchez-Ocampo, helped funnel undocumented workers into kitchens at Don Tequila on Allen Street in Buffalo, El Agave on Union Road in Cheektowaga, Agave on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, and La Divina on Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. The operation, run with military precision, relied on cash payments and off-the-books management to avoid federal scrutiny. Sanchez personally handled wage disbursements and purchased residential properties in his name where the undocumented employees lived.
The ringleader of the scheme, Sergio Ramses Mucino, remains awaiting trial as charges are still pending. Sanchez-Ocampo, already convicted, is set for sentencing on March 5, 2018. Federal authorities stress that Mucino’s charges are allegations only—he remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced the plea as a major strike against organized exploitation networks. “This wasn’t just a restaurant operation—it was a human logistics scheme built on illegality,” Kennedy said. “Workers were paid under the table, housed off the grid, and used to fuel profits at the expense of immigration law.”
The investigation was led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, under Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Kelly. Agents traced financial records, property deeds, and employment patterns to dismantle the operation. The probe revealed that Sanchez used his California base to coordinate with on-the-ground managers in New York, blurring state lines in a federal crime.
Marguin Sanchez is scheduled for sentencing on June 7, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. before Chief Judge Geraci. With the maximum penalty looming, prosecutors argue for a stiff sentence to deter others running shadow economies on the backs of vulnerable workers. The case underscores the federal crackdown on employers weaponizing immigration status for profit.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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